FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Maxilos]

Hi everybody,

I was questioning myself what could the rarest mineral be in the world. So I went searching in my books, on the internet and asked it at a mineralshop not far from where I live. In the shop I heared that there is not one but more. He told me that benitoïte, glauberite and hauyne are samples of rare minerals. On the indernet I found benitoïte, painite and eight others. But what is the rarest mineral of all minerals?

Hope you guys got an answer.

Mark

[Jim Prentiss]

Hi Maxilos,

I would say Tranquillityite, from Mare Tranquillitatis (Sea of Tranquillity), the Moon.

Jim Prentiss

[Herman van Dennebroek]

Hi Maxilos,

I would say "ernstburkeiet" (magnesium methaansulfonaat hydraat ;in Dutch language).
A inclusion from maximum 5µm in a ice drill core from Dome Fuji base, East Antarctica, near the top of the East Dronning Maud plateau. Found at a depth of 576,5 meter.

ernstburkeiet is a new mineral, IMA approved in february 2011.

Herman van Dennebroek

[Minex]

[Maxilos]

Hi,

To answer your question: Both, because organic minerals are also minerals. And to the rest: Thank you for answering my question, and of course if someone knows a even more rare mineral, I would also like to hear that one.

Thanks

Mark